


Crystalline lakes

by YuzuIceCream



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-26
Updated: 2017-01-27
Packaged: 2018-04-23 11:35:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4875337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YuzuIceCream/pseuds/YuzuIceCream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuzuru had a few dreams, those that he realized wouldn't be crushed once he had his hands bound for life. But now, Yuzuru fears his dreams will slip through his fingers just as easily as how his life was taken away from him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Encounters

It was freezing cold as Javier and his men trudged up the snowy path to the emperor's palace. The little wooden houses on the hill gave out an inviting warm glow. Ignoring the pangs of longing to return back to Spain, Javier gritted his teeth and followed the Japanese guide. They had finally reached the palace. It was a formidable structure, towering over them with it's huge mahogany doors and rosewood handles. The doors swung open after the third knock, engulfing them all in warmth, as if they had just stepped into a hot bath. The long corridor seemed endless as Javier and his men entered, amazed at the vastness of it all. Javier made a mental note that Japan was definitely a valuable ally. "I am so sorry sirs. Please follow me to the throne room. The emperor requests your presence". Javier simply nodded. "Come", he ordered his soldiers in Spanish. By the time they had reached the throne room, Javier was pretty done wit the emperor. Seriously, did they have to walk another kilometer just to meet this guy in his huge-ass castle? The door was already open. When he walked in however, he did not expect THIS. 

The emperor was sitting on a throne encrusted with various magnificent jewels and gems. He looked no more than 40, and had slitty eyes with a malicious hint to them. At his right hand stood a stoic young guard who looked no older than 25, with wavy hair. Javier knew the emperor was rich but not this wealthy. He was wearing robes of spun gold and a deep purple. Suddenly he stood up, startling them all. "Welcome...Welcome. It is a great pleasure for you to visit Japan, Javier-san". Javier, understanding basic Japanese, smiled and bowed low. "Arigato. Thank you for having us". The emperor smiled, looking at his weary men. "You all must be very tired. Please follow me to the banquet room where you can have some food and drink".

Naturally, there was a sumptous feast prepared. However, Javier wasn't quite in the mood to enjoy the current festivity. Sighing to himself, Javier stood up and smiled apologetically to the emperor's guard, whose name was Daisuke. "Just going for a little walk. I'll be back soon". Daisuke simply stared at him, his gaze unwavering, before he finally nodded. Slightly unnerved, Javier strolled out into the gardens by the banquet room. It was a typical Japanese garden with bonsai trees and stone benches around. In a nearby bush, Javier could hear the hurried sounds of love making as the bush to his right gave a cautious shake. Presumably one of his men and an unfortunate serving girl. The sounds of slapping flesh were slowly getting too much for him to handle. He quickly turned 360 and stalked off to a more secluded part of the garden, shielded away from sight and sound by a long row of weeping willows. As Javier stepped out from under the branch of a willow, he took an involuntary gasp.

In the center of the grove of weeping willows was a frozen crystalline lake. And on the lake in black skates stood a boy. The overhanging moonlight was bright enough for Javier to make out every feature. The boy was slender and tall, wearing nothing but a thin jacket with a hood(basically like a hoodie) and leggings. His long eyelashes covered his downcast eyes. His lips were a pale pink and he had high cheekbones with an elegant jawline. If not for the short black hair and the obviously boyish feel he was getting, Javier could have easily mistook him for a girl. The boy seemed to exude a sense of youthful aura. He could be no older than 20. As he watched, the still boy seemed to slowly come to life, he seemed to fly across the ice, jumping perfect toe jumps (triple toeloops) one after the other. Javier watched transfixed. But there was something wrong with his skating. It was screaming out to him pain, sadness, anger. The boy finally ended his routine by spinning endlessly on the spot, his hand outstretched to the sky, before he finally seemed to collapse into himself and onto the ice. Javier was still staring as the boy stood up gently and brushed the ice from his pants. Carefully, the boy skated off the lake and walked away into the shade of the opposite side of willows. Javier's mouth formed a surprised 'o'. He began to start forward, following the boy, when he suddenly saw something that made his heart freeze and stop him in his tracks. The emperor was standing next to the boy, his arm around his slender waist. And as Javier looked, the 2 were soon locked in a passionate kiss, the emperor's hands slowly pushing up the boy's jacket to reveal a sliver of pale unblemished skin. Javier blinked and slowly retreated back into the shadows of his own willow tree. 

Just who was that boy, and just what was he doing with the emperor?


	2. Platonic Relationships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm so sorry for taking such a long time to complete the story! I actually completed it in my head and everything but I didn't want to post it because I was just thinking that it was quite messed up and stuff :/ I only posted this when I read the comments. Thank you so much for them! They really helped keep me going! It was really sweet!   
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter because if I do continue with this story (I hope I have the mental strength to do it tbh), it's only going to get pretty bad from here. 
> 
> I'm also really sorry if there are any grammatical errors, misuse of vocab, wrong sentence structure, etc. I never re-read my finished work because it's really really cringe worthy for me. 
> 
> Legend:  
> (1) Good morning- informal  
> (2) Good morning-formal [this is because Daisuke's position is lower than the emperor]

Daisuke raised a fist, just about to knock on the emperor's door. He had barely moved a muscle, however, when the door swung open, revealing the emperor, who was smiling smugly. "Ohayo(1), Daisuke-kun". "Ohayo gozaimasu(2)", Daisuke replied, bowing deeply. "Today, you have another meeting with Javier-san at 10.30, regarding future prospects of widening entrepot trade with Spain. You also have another meeting about-" , "Hai, Hai", the emperor said, waving his hand. Daisuke knew this was the cue to shut up. He bowed again. "Thank you, Hamehito-sama". He straightened and was just about to turn and leave, when the emperor raised a hand imperiously and gestured to his room behind him. "Hiroko is on off today. I'll leave you to deal with it ", the emperor smirked as he walked past Daisuke before pausing beside him for a moment. "Don't forget to clean him up as well", the emperor laid a hand on Daisuke's tense shoulder before laughing and stalking off. A cold clasp seemed to clench at Daisuke's heart as he walked into the room, laden with dread.

Immediately, he wrinkled his nose, the stench of blood and sex assaulting his senses. The room was, no doubt opulent, but at the moment, Daisuke was not affected by the magnificence of the emperor's personal sleeping quarters. There, on the raised futon lay a single figure. He was breathing softly, unconscious to the world and exhausted from the previous night's ordeal. His short black hair was ruffled messily and he was lying on his side. Daisuke gently peeled off the coverlet, revealing the boy's body. His skin was coated in various degrees of bruising, especially so on his nec, hickies adorning his collarbone like an obscene tattoo. As Daisuke's eyes traveled downwards, he felt an invincible anger claw at his insides. The boy's pale thighs were coated in forbidden liquids, and a thin stream of blood dripped steadily from his neither regions and to the already stained futon. Daisuke felt himself sink to his knees. Gently, he lifted the sleeping boy's arm slightly as he kissed his knuckles tenderly. The boy whimpered in his sleep as Daisuke slowly took him out of the covers and into his arms. Daisuke felt a single tear drip down his cheek as he cradled the boy ever so gently

"Oh Yuzu. I'm so sorry"


	3. Confessions in the steam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok lmao heck it i'm going to work on a new chapter even if it kills me.   
> I was reading all the comments and I felt really bad because i'm so horrible and I never finish my work ever.( unless they're 1 shots). For "love of something like love" it was supposed to be multichapter but I got really meh suddenly so it's on hold for now.
> 
> The whole storyline for crystalline lakes is already in my head and has been for a long time already. But I read your comments and I really feel like I should finish up this story. Your comments are beautiful guys legit. Shoutout to pompopmchan, your comment really inspired me (p.s im a sucker for angst too). 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and I really will try my best to finish this. Thank you for everything!

People avoid Daisuke's eyes as he walks down the opulent hallways with deep striding steps. Maybe it's because he looks so unapproachable point blank that people scurry away feeling threatened. Or maybe it's because of the bundle he's cradling in his arms. Or maybe they can just feel the intense waves of fury billowing off him. Either way, he is undisturbed by all the others as he makes his way to his destination. When he reaches the bathhouse he finds it devoid of people. It is late, far too late for majority of the palace entourage to be taking baths now. He peels off his sandals and carefully un-bundles Yuzuru, whom he wrapped in the bedclothes to offer a semblance of modesty. He had searched the room in vain, only to find Yuzuru's soft pastel yukata ripped into shreds. Probably ripped during the throes of passion. Daisuke tightened his fist. Stop. 

There's nothing you can do about it now. 

He exhaled. Yuzuru was still dead to the world, even in the steaming hot onsen baths. Back in their small little town, Yuzuru had loved the baths, and saw each onsen visit as a treat. Compared to their skanky wooden basin, an onsen was seen as a lap of luxury. Yuzuru always laughed more when he was at the baths. As if he didn't laugh enough already. Daisuke felt a spasm of pain in his chest. "Concentrate, Takahashi" he muttered. Daisuke tried not to feel immoral as he placed his hands on the soft flesh of Yuzuru's inner thighs. He tried to be as gentle as possible as he scraped off the dried semen and blood that clung to the skin. 

It took him a whole fifteen minutes of this ordeal before Yuzuru was finally clean of all the muck. Daisuke sighed as he wiped his brow with the back of his hand. It was getting extremely hot in the bathhouse, what with the rising sun and the steam getting to him. He wished he knew what time it was. 

He didn't hear the soft voice murmuring his name until he felt the slight tugging of his shirt. "Dai-kun". The soft voice was weak but insistent. Daisuke immediately looked down towards Yuzuru. Yuzuru's large black eyes were staring straight at him. "Yuzu. You're awake." Daisuke heaved a sigh of relief as he helped Yuzuru sit up slowly. "I was afraid you'd never wake up". Yuzuru's face was lined with exhaustion, and his skin was a sickly pale yellow. His lips were swollen and bruised. It was then that Daisuke fully recognised the large red welt on Yuzuru's cheek bone. Without thinking, he reached out a hand to caress the bruise. "Yuzu..." Daisuke's voice broke slightly. "He hit you again". Yuzuru regarded Daisuke silently with his eyes. Daisuke flushed red before quickly drawing his hand away and feigning a cough. "I'm sorry. i shouldn't have done that. I just-"

He was broken off by weak laughter.

Yuzuru smiled softly as he watched Daisuke's incredulous expression. "It's ok Dai-kun. I was just pulling your leg." Daisuke shook his head in mock disapproval. "I can't believe you can laugh about this", he huffed. But secretly in his heart Daisuke felt yet another stab of pain. Of course, it was so like Yuzuru to dismiss his own pain and hurt so as not to worry the other. "Still, I'm sorry for what I did. It was still uncalled for". This time, Daisuke knew that Yuzuru could catch the silent message behind those words. Yuzuru smiled sadly. 

"You don't have to be sorry about anything".


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's basically time for javier to meet yuzuru. yipee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow it's time I finally update this fic. in the future i should definitely stay away from multi-chap fics. I'll update run, run far away probably in the next few months hopefully by march. Anyway, hope you enjoy this story and I also sincerely hope I can update asap because wow i'm such a noob!
> 
> Also your comments give me life really, without them this story would probably be dead a long long time ago. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy it!
> 
> warnings: horrible spelling/grammar/vocab because i'm shitty and i don't proof read because it's so cringey!! 
> 
> Also people have asked me: since when were olden japanese into homosexual relationships? well, just so you know, the whole country was a hotbed of homo erotica until the americans came after WWII. for a more comprehensive understanding: 
> 
> https://www.tofugu.com/japan/gay-samurai/
> 
> and of course, there's always good ol' wikipedia:  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality_in_Japan

Yuzuru wakes up with the sunlight streaming in through the rice paper windows, casting dancing shadows and patterns across his face. Daisuke had left earlier on and let him sleep in his room. It's a nice room, really. Plain, functional, but nice all the same. It's in this room that Yuzuru stores some of his fondest memories. Like now for instance, as he wakes up, and for a moment feels completely content, blissfully unaware of the life he's leading until realisation sets in and he feels the heavy weight come crashing onto his shoulders. 

It's reasons like this that causes him to avoid his own sleeping quarters at all costs. When he wakes up with the stench of sweat and sex still clinging to his skin sometimes he feels like just ending it all, just a quick slash or a jump into a well but it's Daisuke's face that keeps him tethered and reminds him that there's actually something, no,  _someone,_ worth living for. 

\--

By the time he's properly up and dressed, Yuzuru is pretty sure it's noon already. Luckily for him, one of the perks of being a night worker is that his time spent in the day isn't controlled by any schedule of sorts. He's in a fairly good mood as he walks through the hallways silently, always silently. Sure, he's technically in the servant's area but he doesn't want to spark more rumors or attract even more stares than usual. He knows people talk about his relationship with Daisuke, smile in front of him and then whisper behind his back. He knows because the whispers eventually reached the emperor's ears and were hissed at him one night while he was writhing in pain beneath the sheets. The only consolation he gets is that Daisuke remains blissfully unaware as to what he  _really_ gets on behind closed doors. Or so he hopes. 

\--

The weather was perfect and Yuzuru couldn't help but bring his lunch out. It's cold but not terribly and the sun is shining in all it's splendor. He had received more food than usual, which was amazing and then he had spied Daisuke walking about with some delegation and he had laughed at how fierce Daisuke was acting, a huge contrast to the smiling, goofy and borderline idiotic Daisuke he knew. But perhaps he had giggled a little too loudly because he saw Daisuke turn and give him an almost imperceptible smile from his secluded spot behind the willow trees before promptly turning back to answer a question by one of the officials. 

Yuzuru laughed aloud again as he remembered what had happened and closed his eyes as he hummed lightly to himself. It was incidents like these that made him wish he could just freeze time and continue to live the moments, instead of having to return to the bleak reality of his own life, back to his official job of an entertainer, basically nothing more than a glorified whore. 

He was broken out of his self musings by the sudden loud cracking of branches. His eyes flew open in surprise and he tensed his body, ready to bolt. Instead, he found himself come face to face with a pair of deep brown eyes that seemed to root him to the spot. 

Said man was obviously not Japanese, given his colouring. Yuzuru had always thought himself to be tall, but this man was huge, taller than him and much, much taller than Daisuke. The man was staring at him, mouth opened slightly in shock. Yuzuru felt his ears heat up and he turned around, ready to run away, away from this strange man who seemed to capture him unrelentingly with his eyes, making Yuzuru shiver. 

"Wait!" The strange word was shouted, and although Yuzuru had absolutely no clue what he was saying he could feel himself stopping, and looking back at the man who now had his hand outstretched as if ready to stop him, his face bright red. If the situation wasn't so strange and dangerous, Yuzuru would probably have laughed at how comical it was. 

"Um...um hello! Oh hajimemashite!" 

The words were badly accented and the stress was on the wrong syllables, but if Yuzuru's emotions hadn't been frozen into stone over the past few years when it came to strangers, he probably would have laughed and complimented this strange foreigner on his bravery. 

"Uh, I saw you skating a couple of days ago and, um I just wanted to let you know I thought it was amazing! Sugoi! Yeah that's the word for it! I uh saw you just now when I strayed away from the group and I just thought maybe I should say hi? Oh wait I'm saying this all in spanish". Yuzuru then proceeded to watch as said foreigner slapped a hand to his forehead and started mumbling out words in an even stranger, thicker language. Yuzuru could feel a small smile playing on his lips, but he had learned to keep his emotions in check, so his face remained as impassive as ever. 

"Um, my name's Javier! I'm from the spanish delegation! Oh um, watashi wa Javier-des? Is that even correct it sounds so off?" Now it was a snippet of japanese before an even longer string of strange words. 

"No, wait what I'm trying to say is", Yuzuru watched in alarm as the man began to come dangerously close, reaching out a hand, seemingly to grab his hand-before he suddenly felt himself being flung backwards as his back hit the tree. 

In front of him, blocking him from view was a livid Daisuke. Yuzuru watched the fall of his chest as he tried to regain his breath. The strange foreigner was on the ground now, but had such a strange look on his face, one of confusion, shock, hurt and a dawning realisation that Yuzuru didn't even want to think about. 

"Yuzu, go now, please". Daisuke's voice was extremely measured, but Yuzuru could sense the tension brimming off every syllable. He didn't even wait for another prompt as he turned around and ran back the way he came from, not even sparing a second glance back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the new chap even though its really abrupt! Will try to update asap! Thanks for everything!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm so sorry if this is horribly written! I had a dream somewhere along the lines of the above fic. I thought it would be interesting to write it out:) I'm a writer on Fanfiction.net but this is my first time on Archive Of Our Own. Thank you for taking time to read this story! Depending on how well received the story is, i might post a sequel:)


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